All the Summer concerts to see in NYC this year

You’ve recovered from Memorial Day weekend and survived the long return trip home. Now it’s time to rock out to some awesome summer shows this year. Quite honestly, it just wouldn’t be summer here in the Big Apple without some live music, and there’s plenty of it this season for both the sophisticated and casual music fan. The noticeable difference this time around is the absence of Brooklyn’s Northside Festival, which had been a steady presence for about a decade. Fortunately, one can always count on Celebrate Brooklyn!, which this year marks its 40th anniversary of offering the best in (mostly free) live music: The National, Courtney Barnett, Jason Isbell, Patti LaBelle, and Liz Phair are just some of the marquee acts who will be appearing on stage at Prospect Park

But Celebrate Brooklyn! is not the only game in town for summer music. Another long-running institution is BAM R&B Festival at MetroTech, which highlights both old school R&B and emerging artists—among them Nona Hendryx, Roy Ayers, Van Hunt and Ruthie Foster. The team behind the Bell House, CityFarm Presents, has booked Lion Babe, Blonde Redhead, Lee Scratch Perry, Antibalas and more for its stellar Summer Series at Industry City. And the Afropunk Festival has established itself as the preeminent showcase for cutting-edge and empowering R&B/hip-hop—this year’s killer lineup features jazz great Kamasi Washington, blues star Gary Clark, and R&B powerhouse Jill Scott. Meanwhile Coney Island is not just about the beach, the Cyclone and Nathan’s—the Ford Amphitheater on the boardwalk features a diverse program of shows that appeals to generations of music listeners, from Lost ‘80s Live to hip-hop royalty Wu-Tang Clan. And for a few dollars more, both Forest Hills Stadium and Governors Ball boast superstar names, including the reunited Strokes, Kacey Musgraves and Morrissey.

Here’s a partial list of notable performers who should be on your summer live music radar.